Litigation brought against the Guardian and the BBC over the Paradise Papers investigation into the offshore activities of some of the world’s richest people and companies has been settled.
In an agreed statement, the parties announced they had “resolved their differences” with a settlement that ends the legal action launched by the offshore law firm Appleby.
The company started breach of confidence proceedings against the Guardian and the BBC last December. This followed the publication of the Paradise Papers – an investigation based on more than 13m documents that provoked worldwide anger and debate about offshore tax arrangements.
Quick guide Key revelations from the Paradise Papers
1) Millions of pounds from the Queen’s private estate has been invested in a Cayman Islands fund – and some of her money went to a retailer accused of exploiting poor families.
2) Prince Charles’s estate made a big profit on a stake in his friend’s offshore firm.
3) Extensive offshore dealings by Donald Trump’s cabinet members, advisers and donors, including substantial payments from a firm co-owned by Vladimir Putin’s son-in-law to the shipping group of the US commerce secretary, Wilbur Ross.
5) The tax-avoiding Cayman Islands trust managed by the Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau’s chief moneyman.
6) The Formula One champion Lewis Hamilton avoided taxes on a £17m jet using an Isle of Man scheme.
7) A previously unknown $450m offshore trust that has sheltered the wealth of Lord Ashcroft.
8) Oxford and Cambridge and top US universities invested offshore, with some of the money going into fossil fuel industries.
10) Apple secretly moved parts of its empire to Jersey after a row over its tax affairs.
11) How the sportswear giant Nike stays one step ahead of the taxman.
14) The secret loan and alliance used by the London-listed multinational Glencore in its efforts to secure lucrative mining rights in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
15) The complex offshore webs used by two Russian billionaires to buy stakes in Arsenal and Everton football clubs.
16) Stars of the BBC hit sitcom Mrs Brown's Boys used a web of offshore companies to avoid tax.
17) British celebrities including Gary Lineker used an arrangement that let them avoid tax when selling homes in Barbados.
21) A tax haven lobby group boasted of 'superb penetration' at the top of the UK government before a G8 summit that was expected to bring in greater offshore transparency.
22) The law firm at the centre of the Paradise Papers leak was criticised for 'persistent failures' on terrorist financing and money laundering rules.
23) Seven Republican super-donors keep money in tax havens.
24) A top Democratic donor built up a vast $8bn private wealth fund in Bermuda.
26) The celebrities, from Harvey Weinstein to Shakira, with offshore interests.
27) How a private equity firm tried to extract £890m from a struggling care home operator by making it take out a costly loan.
28) Trump’s close ally Robert Kraft, the New England Patriots owner, is the longtime owner of an offshore firm.
29) One of the world’s biggest touts used an offshore firm to avoid tax on profits from reselling Adele and Ed Sheeran tickets.
The investigation was undertaken by 96 media groups in 67 countries and relied on material provided by the German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung.
It said it had been leaked the documents, which it shared with partners through the US-based, Pulitzer-prize-winning International Consortium of Investigative Journalists.
In legal correspondence, Appleby demanded from the Guardian and the BBC the disclosure of any of the 6m Appleby documents that informed their reporting.
The company also sought damages for the disclosure of what it said were confidential legal documents obtained in a digital hack.
The Guardian said last year it would defend the claim because to not do so could have profound consequences that would deter British media organisations from undertaking serious, investigative journalism in the public interest.
An agreement between the parties was reached after it became clear the vast majority of the documents were no longer owned by Appleby and were not legally privileged.
A joint statement said: “Without compromising their journalistic integrity or ability to continue to do public interest journalism, the Guardian and the BBC have assisted Appleby by explaining which of the company’s documents may have been used to underpin their journalism. This will allow Appleby to initiate meaningful discussions with its clients, colleagues and regulators.”
A spokesman for the Guardian said: “The Guardian’s reporting from the Paradise Papers is investigative journalism that has raised important issues in the public interest.”
The BBC said: “We welcome this settlement which preserves our ability to carry out investigative journalism in the public interest.”
Michael O’Connell, the group managing partner of Appleby, said it had started the legal action to understand which of its confidential and privileged documents had been taken.
“From the outset we wanted to be able to explain to our clients and colleagues what information of theirs had been stolen. That was our duty. As a result of this legal action we are well on our way to achieving our objectives.”